THE postponed Ryder Cup match, scheduled for next week, will now take place at The Belfry on September 27-29 next year.

The European tour also confirmed that after talks with the PGA of America and US Tour, the following three matches at least will go back a year as well.

It means that the first ever match on Irish soil, at the K Club near Dublin, will now take place in 2006 rather than 2005.

The next two contests on American soil, at Oakland Hills in Detroit and Valhalla in Louisville, switch to 2004 and 2008.

It has not yet been announced that this new two-year cycle will continue indefinitely, however.

Europe's Ryder Cup Committee has been evaluating bids this summer for what was to have been the 2009 match, but now looks like being 2010.

The courses involved in the bidding process have been Celtic Manor in Wales - the favourite after apparently receiving the support of European tour executive director Ken Schofield - Slaley Hall near Newcastle and Scottish quartet Gleneagles, Turnberry, Carnoustie and Loch Lomond.

Next week's match at The Belfry was called off on Sunday following the terrorist attacks in America last week, but it was decided to postpone rather than cancel.

The new date announced for the match was the obvious one because the previous week all the players involved should be at Mount Juliet in Ireland for the American Express world championship, the event which was cancelled in St Louis last week in the immediate aftermath of the events in New York and Washington.

The President's Cup match between the United States and an international side minus Europe, has also been switched from November 2002 to November 2003 and will be played in odd-numbered years from now on.

Those fans waiting for information both on what happens to the tickets they held for next week's match and the process for purchasing tickets for next year will have to wait another 36 hours, however.

It has already been decided that next year's contest will feature the same 24 players who would have played next week and the same two captains, Sam Torrance for Europe and Curtis Strange for the Americans.

This has been agreed by both countries despite the obvious possibility of one or more of the major championships being won by somebody who would not then participate in the Ryder Cup.